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| The Wheel of Time | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Wheel of Time |
| Author | Robert Jordan; later Brandon Sanderson |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Epic fantasy |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Pub date | 1990–2013 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback), ebook, audiobook |
| Pages | 11 novels + prequel |
| Preceded by | New Spring |
| Followed by | A Memory of Light |
The Wheel of Time is an epic fantasy series created by American author Robert Jordan and completed by Brandon Sanderson from Jordan's notes. The saga spans a multi-volume narrative focused on a prophesied struggle involving central figures, secret societies, and a cosmology rooted in cyclical time, drawing comparisons to works like The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire. Its publication history, dense cast, and multimedia adaptations have made it a landmark franchise in modern fantasy.
The series began with The Eye of the World (1990) and concluded with A Memory of Light (2013), comprising novels, a prequel novella New Spring, and related companion works. Key institutions and groups include the Aes Sedai, the Black Tower, the White Tower, and the nation-states of Andor, Tar Valon, Illian, Cairhien, and Tear. Major plot elements involve the cyclical pattern of the Wheel, the male and female halves of the One Power—saidin and saidar—and the threat posed by the Dark One. The series traverses political intrigues among houses such as the Aes Sedai Ajahs, royal dynasties like the Morgase line, and martial orders including the Children of the Light and the Warders.
The narrative begins in the Two Rivers, where characters like Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara are uprooted by attacks linked to the Shadowspawn and agents of the Dark One such as the Forsaken. Guided by Moiraine Damodred of the Blue Ajah and her Warder Lan Mandragoran, the protagonists journey through locations like Shadar Logoth, Baerlon, Caemlyn, and Tear while encountering events like the Battle of Emond's Field and the rediscovery of ancient artifacts such as the Horn of Valere and the Dragon Banner. As Rand accepts his role as the Dragon Reborn, conflicts expand to include the Seanchan invasion, the cleansing of saidin by Nynaeve al'Meara and Egwene al'Vere's struggle within the White Tower, culminating in large-scale confrontations such as the Last Battle, also called the Tarmon Gai'don.
The series features a wide ensemble: primary protagonists include Rand al'Thor, Egwene al'Vere, Nynaeve al'Meara, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara; Aes Sedai figures such as Siuan Sanche, Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, and Alanna Mosvani; military leaders like Egwene's generals—Lan Mandragoran and Asha'man commanders—and antagonists such as the Forsaken—Ishamael, Lanfear, Graendal, Sammael, Aginor, and Balthamel. Secondary but pivotal characters include Thom Merrilin, Min Farshaw, Elayne Trakand, Galad Damodred, and Hurin. Political figures, nobles, and foreigners—members of Seanchan nobility, rulers of Andor like Queen Morgase, and commanders in Cairhien—populate the series' intricate networks of allegiance and betrayal.
The primary setting is a secondary world with continents including the Westlands, populated regions like Shara and Seanchan territories, and other less-detailed lands. The cosmology incorporates the Wheel, weaving of the Pattern, and the One Power divided into saidar and saidin; channelers train at institutions such as Tar Valon's White Tower and the Black Tower in Far Madding. Technology ranges from medieval armaments to remnants of an earlier Age reflected in artifacts called angreal, sa'angreal, and ter'angreal. Cultures draw on analogues—Andor with feudal monarchy traits, Cairhien with Game of Houses politics, and Tear as a mercantile power—while languages, customs, and magic systems are elaborated through entities like the Ogier and the stedding of the Aiel.
Recurring themes include fate versus free will expressed through prophecies like the Karaethon Cycle alongside character agency, the corrupting influence of power seen in the tainting of saidin and the moral complexity of the Forsaken, and cycles of history reflected in the Wheel's pattern. Motifs include dualities (saidin/saidar), the burden of leadership (Rand's decline and recovery), and cultural collision (Seanchan conquest and Aes Sedai politics). The series also explores prophecy, redemption arcs (for characters such as Mat and Perrin), and the consequences of war on societies, echoing elements from Norse mythology, Arthurian legend, and modern epic narratives like The Lord of the Rings.
Robert Jordan (pseudonym of James Oliver Rigney Jr.) began publishing in 1990; the series grew in scope, length, and publication intervals, with editorial collaboration from Tom Doherty at Tor Books. Jordan's death in 2007 left the series unfinished; after a selection process, Brandon Sanderson completed the final volumes using Jordan's notes and outlines, producing The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight, and A Memory of Light. The books spawned companion volumes, maps, and guidebooks produced by editors and cartographers familiar with Eleanor Arnason-style editorial practices. The series influenced and intersected with careers of fantasy authors, conventions, and publishing trends in serialized epic fantasy.
Adaptations include a 2021 television series produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios with showrunners like Rafe Judkins, and a history of planned film and game projects. Earlier attempts involved rights held by Universal Pictures and development teams proposing scripts and potential directors, while game adaptations involved studios exploring MMORPG and single-player formats. Audiobook narrations by voice artists such as Michael Kramer and Kate Reading contributed to wider accessibility; fan communities, conventions like JordanCon, and licensed merchandise expanded the franchise's cultural footprint.
Category:Epic fantasy novels Category:Books adapted into television series